


Flurries

by MegTheMighty



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: FMA Secret Santa 2020, Family Meals, Fluff, Gen, Post canon, al is the best boy, protect him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28278030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegTheMighty/pseuds/MegTheMighty
Summary: Months after regaining his body, Al spends a pleasant night with the Hughes family and his brother.
Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric
Comments: 9
Kudos: 30
Collections: FMA Secret Santa 2020





	Flurries

**Author's Note:**

> This is my FMA Secret Santa 2020 gift for @comeseesomereallygoodstuff on tumblr! I hope you enjoy this and have a lovely day :)

A strong wind blew through the street, sending a shiver up Al’s spine. Ed cursed at the cold air, but Al relished the simple feeling. It was his first winter since regaining his body and nothing could dampen his spirits.

Gracia had been kind enough to invite the brothers to a dinner while they were visiting Central, but getting to the apartment was a journey in itself. Al was still relying on a cane sometimes and the harsh gusts of wind threatened to knock him over as soon as they left the train station. 

The pair made another turn, finally having the Hughes’ apartment building in sight. They both knew it would be a bittersweet experience, returning once again and knowing that Maes wouldn’t be there to open the door. But spending the night with Gracia and little Elicia would certainly lift their spirits, especially since Al now had his real body back.

That reminded him of Gracia’s promise: the quiche waiting for him at the table. Winry’s pies were wonderful treats back at home, but Al desperately desired to check off every meal on his list. Ed was dedicated to the noble pursuit as well, stopping at every food stall and café they passed to see if Al wanted anything. He appreciated his brother’s effort, but what he truly wanted was to adjust to normal life again and make up for lost time.

“Here, I can help you up the stairs,” Ed offered. He held his arm out for Al to hold onto in addition to his cane. Al managed to hobble up the tall steps, grateful that there was an elevator to get them up to the Hughes’ floor.

The warmth from inside hit his face like a wave as soon as the doors opened. The trip upstairs was quick, and soon enough the brothers were being ushered into the apartment with Elicia jumping up to see them. Frames adorned the walls and shelves as a tribute to Maes’ many photos, both of his family and himself.

“I hope you boys are hungry,” Gracia greeted. “Elicia helped me with a stew earlier, and the quiche just came out of the oven.”

“That sounds delicious, Mrs. Hughes,” Al said excitedly. “Thank you so much for having us!”

“Of course,” she replied as she ushered them into the dining room. “You boys haven’t been back to Central since your retirement ceremony, have you?”

“Nope,” Ed answered. “Retirement means no more random assignments from Mustang, so less traveling. It feels pretty good not being a State Alchemist anymore.”

“How does it feel not being any kind of alchemist?” Al teased with a smirk, earning a light shove and pout from his older brother. 

Ed was happy to have his arm and his brother back even at the cost of his abilities, but Al couldn’t help boasting every once in a while. Their brotherly competition had only grown during their months spent recovering in Resembool, often resulting in arm wrestling competitions (with Ed’s newly returned right arm to Al’s equally weak one) and measuring their heights every other day. Al maintained his competitive edge with both alchemy and being around an inch taller than Ed.

They settled at the table with Al sitting next to Gracia and across from Ed. Elicia was babbling about her day at school as her mother nodded along enthusiastically while the boys tried to follow her story. The little girl’s energy never seemed to die down even as they started to eat and her mouth was full of the delicious food.

Al held his fork loosely, looking down at the steaming quiche on the end. Ed took a bite from his own plate, letting out a contented smile. When he saw his younger brother hesitating, he sent a reassuring wink.

He bit down. There was a moment where he wondered if it was possible to time travel, because he was certain it was 1903 and he was trying his mother’s quiche for the very first time in their kitchen in Resembool. Gracia’s food somehow tasted exactly the same as Trisha’s.

“Elicia and I added a few spices from the eastern region,” Gracia said. “We thought it might make it taste a bit more like home.”

“It really does!” Al replied. “Thank you both very much.”

Ed nodded. “Yeah, we would love to have the recipe. I would make this at home all the time.”

“You mean you would ask Winry to make it for you?” Al asked innocently. He felt a kick toward him from beneath the table, but thankfully it wasn’t from Ed’s automail leg. 

_Even with his growing height, he can still barely reach me under the table,_ Al thought happily. _But he would probably try to kick me harder for thinking that._

Gracia laughed softly at their antics and refrained from scolding them. The boys were so much more grown up than they had been only a year ago. She could tell they were still just young brothers at heart, but Ed seemed to have cooled his temper slightly, while Al had a renewed genuine kindness and love for life.

“Mommy, look!” Elicia cried. She pointed her finger in front of Ed toward the window, with everyone’s gazes following. 

“Snow,” Al gasped. 

The first flurries of the season were falling down outside of the Hughes’ window.

Before anyone could say anything else, he was already dropping his utensils and pushing his chair back. Ed gave him a strange look, but didn’t react fast enough to stop him as he rushed out the door.

“Al, wait! Don’t be an idiot,” he called. “He didn’t even take his coat!”

Al could barely hear his brother’s shouts from behind him as he reached the stairs, gripping the railing tight. He regretted leaving everything behind and not bothering with the elevator, but he had been waiting for snow all year. The last time he had seen it was on their trip north to Briggs, but that had been sullied by Kimblee’s interference and the fact that he had still been a suit of armor.

Maybe the sudden excitement and adrenaline were enough to overcome his remaining physical weakness, but somehow Al managed to make it all the way downstairs in no time. He burst out the door, making sure to politely apologize to the family he rushed past in the lobby.

Al paused as he stood alone on the wide stoop in front of the building. Snowflakes blew down the street with another gust of wind and he watched as they caught the light of the streetlamps. Once the wind subsided for a moment, he hesitantly stuck his tongue out, waiting for a flurry to land on it.

The icy flakes tickled his skin, but the sensation was welcome; any sensation he was allowed to feel was welcome. The summer spent recovering had been pleasant, but there was something about winter that was special.

“You’re going to freeze out here,” Ed scolded from behind him. “Here.”

He had stepped out of the doorway and wrapped Al’s coat around his shoulders. Gracia was holding Elicia in her arms behind them, and the little girl was already squirming to get down. The mother released her with a warning to be careful, then turned toward the boys.

“I brought this down too, Al,” she said. Within a few moments, the scarf in her arms was gently wrapped around his neck, with a satisfied pat from Gracia finishing off the kind gesture.

Al felt the wool scratch at his throat, but he was much more focused on the other feeling brought on by the small act. It wasn’t just something he hadn’t experienced since being bonded to a suit of armor, it was something he rarely felt since he lost his mother. Gracia’s touch was warm and maternal. It reminded him of getting wrapped up in winter attire as a child on the rare occasion it would snow in Resembool. 

Ed smiled over at him despite his previous disapproval; perhaps he was able to read Al’s thoughts and even share the nostalgic sentiment. The theory of Elric brother telepathy was still in development. 

“Why don’t we come back outside later?” Gracia suggested. “If it snows enough, we could try to go sledding tomorrow morning.”

Elicia jumped back up into her mother’s arms at the suggestion, and the brothers nodded eagerly.

“We made a surprise dessert earlier too,” she added. “I can’t wait for you to try the chocolate cake.”

With that, Al raced upstairs almost as fast as he had gone downstairs to see the snow.


End file.
